The changing color of a chameleon's body is an impressive sight—but how it happens has long been a significant scientific question without a compelling answer. Now, researchers have identified a thin layer of deformable nanocyrstals in their skin which gives rise to the phenomenon. »3/11/15 8:47am 3/11/15 8:47am

Never before in human history has it been so easy to share, like, pin, reblog, images. That's, like, totally awesome for teenage girls showing off their prom dresses but also a pretty huge boon for scientists studying what makes images shareable. And it could be something as simple as color. »2/25/15 9:20am 2/25/15 9:20am

What do a butterfly's shimmering wings, a fish's opalescent scales, and a peacock's brilliant feathers have in common? Yes, their colors are beautifully iridescent. But they are also produced by the physical interaction of light with sophisticated nanoscale architecture that we are only just beginning to understand.»2/19/15 2:00pm 2/19/15 2:00pm

Here's a short video showing the before and after footage of a movie being color corrected by a colorist. It's dramatic to see the difference between the initial footage and the final official scenes. It's also fascinating to see the process and how certain things change slowly. »1/06/15 9:52pm 1/06/15 9:52pm

Like a childhood mood ring you really wanted to believe in but always knew was hogwash, every year Pantone predicts our national mood by highlighting a single shade from its library. This year's choice—the company's 15th annual color of the year—all about "sophisticated, natural earthiness." Or maybe just wine, which…»12/04/14 12:03pm 12/04/14 12:03pm

When artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn visited the favelas of Rio De Janeiro, they wondered how they could help the wider community. Turns out, the answer was a simple lick of paint.»11/10/14 3:45am 11/10/14 3:45am

We're all kind of old. It's okay! Happens to everyone. And while our collective childlike wonder at the world has been gradually erased by the realities of Life, there are still a few simple things that wield the power to make us go "Ooooh." Crayons are kind of like that. »9/04/14 2:31pm 9/04/14 2:31pm

The graphic designer Deborah Sussman died at the age of 83 this week, leaving behind a technicolor legacy. She was perhaps most famous for designing the graphics and signage for the 1984 Summer Olympics, which transformed Los Angeles into a dazzling playground of magenta and teal. But Sussman also left her mark on… »8/22/14 9:57am 8/22/14 9:57am

This beetle looks like it's been given a lick with a paintbrush—but in fact, it's covered in paper-thin scales that are brilliant white, and reflect more light than anything of a similar thickness that can be made by humans.»8/18/14 6:50am 8/18/14 6:50am

When you walk into a museum you're likely not thinking about chemistry. Yet you probably ought to be. Before the industrial revolution brought us manufactured pigment, painters had to be great chemists—tinkering with rare, expensive, and sometimes downright poisonous chemicals to make colors. »7/14/14 3:01pm 7/14/14 3:01pm

Photographer Donna Dotan was shooting downwards out of a Manhattan apartment window when she noticed the beautiful symmetrical reflection. It inspired her to create this amazing series in which New York looks like an entirely different place—sometimes a starship, others the endless canyons of an alien megalopolis. »7/03/14 4:30pm 7/03/14 4:30pm

This is not a photo of a box of color pencils. It's a digital drawing made from scratch in Photoshop. I wish the artist actually used color pencils to make it—because I love when things come full circle—but I'm equally impressed with his digital brush skills. Here are some screenshots of the process. »4/09/14 6:59pm 4/09/14 6:59pm